For more than three years there has been an occupation of "protectors" at Ihumātao.

Protester and police at Ihumatao. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook

A peaceful group, which became known as SOUL - Save Our Unique Landscape - is made up of some mana whenua and local community representatives.

However, over the years they have garnered support from around the country and even the world with people visiting the site to show support and kotahitanga for their plight - which, put simply, is to stop a housing development.

Ihumātao is located next to the Ōtuataua Stonefields Historic Reserve in Māngere - home to New Zealand's earliest market gardens and a significant archaeological site on land considered wahi tapu, or sacred, by local hapū and iwi.

Fletcher spokesman Steve Evans said the Environment Court's decision re-affirmed it was entirely justified in going ahead with the project. He pointed out the court found the company was providing a higher level of protection for the area than was required.

In March 2019, the group along with supporters in Wellington took their petition to Parliament demanding government intervention to prevent a confrontation on the land.

Pania Newton is the co-founder of SOUL, the group leading the campaign against the housing development. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook

The following month a hikoi, ending in Auckland's Aotea Square, saw a 20,000-signature petition delivered to Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, calling for local council and government to protect the land.

"This piece of land within the development area will be the first time since the land confiscations of 1863 that land will be returned to mana whenua. The agreement to have this land returned to mana whenua was negotiated between Fletchers, Makaurau Marae Māori Trust and Te Kawerau Iwi Tribal Authority. Auckland City Council was consulted during this process."

Fletcher's have committed to returning 25 percent (eight hectares) of the land they own to the Kiingitanga.

"Returning the land is a first for a corporate like Fletcher Building," said Fletcher Building Residential chief executive Steve Evans.

This isn't a Māori versus Fletcher issue - on both sides are members of the same iwi, hapū and whānau.

When the eviction notices were served yesterday, well-respected kaumātua of Te Kawerau a Maki and Te Akitai accompanied police and asked for the occupation to end and for them to leave Ihumātao peacefully. They even performed a karakia.

Not many of the SOUL members where there at the time and of those who were, the majority left the site.

Since then, there has been a renewed ground swell of supporters bringing with them kai, waiata and tautoko. Calls for support are being made by SOUL members on social media and hundreds have responded and have been standing side by side at the police cordon.

It has been mainly a peaceful stand-off, but people have now been arrested for trying to stop trucks entering the site and for breaching the police cordon.